DiabloFans

"They have to monetize the game some way if you want a continuous flow of content. "
Too old to believe that.
This was something the industry said as they said 100 years ago that plant based oil is good for your HEART.
Money is not equal to continous flow of content... they actually have to create content for that.
Money is just money.
If you want continous flow of content, go back 15 years in actual time, and expect content in every half year. Not weeks or months.
People are too used to instant everything nowadays they don't really know what they want anymore.
And the result is....well this
Everyone: enjoy your anger and pain, I had my share with WoW, i'm just gonna enjoy DIV as it is... as a casual.
If it will be pay to win, maybe i'll spend the same amount of time watching videos about it, as I would have playing the actual game for money
Blizzard is doing just fine without any of us supporting it.
Maybe they will rename themselves, get bought to the 42nd other xy company....hell what do we care?
World goes on.

Hey man!
I plan to start as barb too, maybe build a wizard later.
Want to blast the leveling in under 1 hour if possible.
We can join forces and maybe get some other players aswell
My btag is Frava#2220 , add me so we can play together as a team!

Cheers

Hi all!
I want to assemble and be part of a team in the upcoming Season 23, might aswell enjoy the fres start and the "leveling experience" thrill.
I'm looking for more players with the same goal and attitude...or something like that

I'm just taking it easy here, haven't even decided if 'm going to play on EU or US servers.
I mainly roll support characters, like zBarb and zDH, ofc. I'm interested in the 'possibly' overpowered Wizard aswell.
If you don't have a team yet and are looking forward to an efficient and fast starting experience in S23, or just want to discuss the strategies and be part of a friendly party, do not hesitate to respond to this thread!

Please attach your Battletag, and the region you play in, for me and others to see if we can play together as a team.
Looking forward to all replies!
Cheers and be safe guys.

Hi There! I'm planning to start a DH and roll a zbarb after.
Not sure if i wanna be up at the exact start, cause that's 2AM at me (playing from Europe, on Americas server), but I still want to go at it on the weekend.
I think it doesn't really matter that much on the long run, cause 90% of the players will just call it after they played some, and we can get the same amount of gameplay done some hours later. So might be starting later on, like 5 hours in the season or something...depends
I don't have any group either cause i skipped some seasons this year, so if you want, we can roll together sometime
im on Americas, my battletag is Frava#2220.

Cheers!

Hi! I'm planning to return to Diablo after skipping the last 2-3 seasons cause of repetativeness. This game always bring me back
I am an all time zbarb, but can roll a zmonk aswell, i just love supporting. Would love to play with some team oriented....well teams
Can you tell me your battlenet name so I can add it before season start?
Mine is Frava#2220

Aaand that class is WD. It is because a lot of people do not like the class. Also also also...when there is a chance to boost it via an actual NEW set, Blizzard nerfs the set so its probably out of the meta again. Not a very bright choice in my opinion, ofcourse this can differ a lot from other player's.

I think the problem is not with money or time...it is with priorities. They implement whole new sets that worth nothing, that wont change the gameplay and they try to give us the feeling of "something new". Frenzy, Hydra, Spirit Barrage: NOT NEW
-Meanwhile in Diablo III actual gameplay: if they would only change 1-2 spells, runes, heck even mix around some legendary powers, the meta could change entirely. Like allow for a more hybrid based gameplay instead of relying on 2-3 supports all the time.

So my suggestion Blizz: No new sets for the next seasons, make the MANY sets you have now viable & interesting next time. Like you did it some time ago...and it worked

Quote from Altreg01»

How much time and resources they are willing to spend cleaning up a dying game in maintenance mode is anybody's guess, but if they do suspend ALL botters and HUD users the landscape is going to be more barren than it is now. With shareholders to answer to, wiping out a large portion of your player base in a game that doesnt create revenue might not be the smartest move to make financially, its all about the $$$, and players = $$$

well...its okey to think like this.
Also, we should state that if you want to do something right, do it right. If anything is wrong with a game, it is subjective. Maybe there is something wrong with CS:GO, or LoL or any other games...people are still playing them a lot So putting aside your point of view on the state of the game, botting is not really a quality thing for any game. I don't like to compete with players who are abusing the game, so i will like it more if they are gone = I will play the game = $$$ in your words
If they would let a game that is as simbolic as Diablo III go to waste EVEN after its basically in maintenance mode, what would you say about the company's idea of gaming? I know ppl throwing shit at Blizz nowadays, but naysaying their every decision that is ACTUALLY towards a brigther future is really stupid, don't you think? We can dream, we can support a company at least with our attitude towards their good decisions.
Positive feedback is a strong motivating source, it can change many things for the better. They are trying with seasons, trying with new ideas for items and for a 8 year old game that still has new things, and is playable and can be enjoyed by players around the world that is something.
Also...this is all from my point of view too... but still, botters can go to HELL

I understand that PTR is an US server That's why i've said that it's gonna be later for us, europeans .its 5 pm. not in european time, but in PST. So yes, its 07-02 in the morning

I have found a comment under a video of Raxxanterax, he said it's gonne be on at 5pm PST. that is 9 hours behind our European time... so Friday 02:00 in the morning for us.
I play at US servers and I think this might be legit so...another day of waiting for us

Same here I'm really excited to try the new items

Cheers! I'm gonna be ON!

Hi there! I suggest checking up Raxxanterax's videos on youtube.
He makes it very clear what to do and what not to do in Greater Rifts if you want to push your limits.
Also, he mentions some pretty useful tricks for zbarbs and barbs in general that others don't really explain.
Some things among many:
-know the seasonal buff stacks mechanics and kill elites with those, not with pure DPS
-stack with ground stomp by standing just near the mobs, NOT on top of them. if you time it right, you can "pixel" stack the mobs, so they will be on top of each other - like you mentioned, ess of johan does the same sometimes, just randomly
In most of his videos he makes notes on how each map is good/bad for pulling, and so you can use speed pylons, or just run through it without bothering, maybe you get a better map.

That's all for now, i hope this will uncover some secrets
Cheers!

Hi all! I have read a lot of good opinions on this matter, just highlighting the one that I think of as a fine example of analysis:
Bisso's full post with picture samples.
Also the OP is explaining these things pretty good aswell.
I work as a photographer so i know a thing or two about lighting, color tones and contrast...and i have to tell you, you guys are perfectly right about the matter at hand!!
These things just wont change, it's a given fact how 99% of the people see a picture, how they focus on a given composition, like when the frame of the picture is dark and something's happening in the middle that is lighter...like in Diablo general. Ofc it's darker if its more contrasty and less glowy-unicorny. Ofc most of the horror elements can come from someone's nostalgia, let's not talk about that.
BUT....BUTTTT...the problem roots elsewhere I think.
You almost all concerned about visuals, and forget about the fact that developers are playing and studying other games aswell. They even said it in Blizzcon and some summaries also include a point saying this. Meaning: they have to live up -to some degree- to other games.
There are monsters that need to be hit, even targeted sometimes, loot that needs to be picked up. As a QoL change, in many games they highlighted key elements to be more easy to process for your eyes.
THIS is what's happening that's all. The devs just tuning the game for an average player, and they go straight against the face of what they wanted to do.
Horror = contrast. it doesnt matter if it's TOO MUCH LIGHT or TOO DARK, what's important is the ratio.
Easy game, no crying children = highlight everything, make it rewarding, progression in an instant.
They have to decide if they want to make a Dark Souls game or Sims 2 withe weapons and demons.
Horror can come from the feeling of desperation aswell. If you don't see what need to be hit in the first 1 second for example.
Imagine if in Alien movie, you could see the monster in 1 second.... peace.

I wouldn't have phrased this as "morons" but still...yeah. If a dev team tries to share end content with casual, for the sake of good marketing...it will just ruin the game for everyone else. A solution is needed to adress both factions, casuals and dedicated players... not a +100000% buff.

Hi there!
Good topic I think, but it is really a thing of perspective.
Blizzard, in the last few years took up the model of games that support casual gameplay. If you play, you get rewarded, the game won't really punish you for any mistakes and the loot / rewards come easy and frequently so you won't "ragequit" after 2 failed attemts at a boss/level/dungeon.
Also...these games have an end content, you can play there if you invest a gooood amount of time and have some basic understanding of the mechanics + maybe a team on the same level.

It is really hard to set a balance, but getting people to grind more -in one way or another- is just reverting the game to the state where it was before 'RoS'.
Getting the items in 1 day is also boring...but to someone who has got 0 experience, can still be an experience - and in a short amount of time, as I stated.
Ofcourse with this, the excitement goes away, but hey! they at least he/she experienced the "content".
So to sum it up: there's always at least 2 perspectives,
A, when you a beginner and its still exciting to get 5-6 legendaries
B, you are a veteran and you know its gonna take 3 days to gear up fully, then grind paragon.
Both of these option is leading to one thing: lack of excitement, commitment, any kind of challange.
What you ephasize in your video is that the reforge system is faulty, and the material farming is a mistake too, but I think they are just a by-product of the gameplay. You get more power (paragon) and then you have an option to do some other stuff...paragon has so much more priority atm, that i wouldn't even consider blaming the reforge system :). Imagine if regorging and crafting would benefit you more...in any way. Then you would be forced to just grind that, efficiently. (like bounties > paragon)
So what i would really change, is not the core of the loot system, or upgrade system, but the ITEMS themselves.
One way or another, a player will end up at a wall after grinding for X amount of time.. The key -for me- in a game that keeps me interested is the design... i want to WANT something.
In my case specially its always a good team that i enjoy playing with for a common goal. If we reach it = win, satisfaction.
So my suggestions for the topic:
-Introduce common goals for teams, clans
-Introduce items that are more challanging to obtain, and not via some 1000 hour grind, or RNG, but with an actual BOSS mechanic, or dungeon like set dungeons.
-Balance it in solo / group play and there you have it. (sarcasm initiated) Mixing it up a few pathces also works...as it worked with DIII. (end sarcasm)